People strolled along the flower-lined street, eating sugar figurines and going in and out of shops, trying out the flower umbrellas and folding fans at the stalls.
"Although it's beautiful, I'm just a country girl and don't need such expensive things. Let's buy something else!"
The lingering affection in Zhang's eyes revealed her fondness for the paper umbrella.
Just as Tian Sangui was about to take out his money, Zhang, who was quick-witted and sharp-eyed, pulled him to her side and covered her money bag with her hand.
"Who in the countryside uses such a flowery umbrella? It would be a laughing stock. And would you put it up at home to worship it? Why waste money on that? It would be more practical to buy some hairpins!"
Tian Sangui then thought that what Zhang said made sense. Buying them would only make him a laughing stock. So he would listen to Zhang and buy some pretty hairpins, which would be both beautiful and practical!
Zhang would definitely not let Tian Sangui set foot in the jewelry store; she knew how hard her daughter worked to earn money.
Being able to buy from the stall was already her biggest concession.
Arriving at the old woman's stall, one finds a dazzling array of colorful hairpins, hair ornaments, jade bracelets, and jewelry necklaces hanging in front of and behind her.
Seeing the whole family walking toward her stall, the old woman smiled, her face full of wrinkles.
"Oh, madam and young lady, come and see! These hairpins are perfect for you two. Gold and jade complement beauty. If the mother and daughter wore them out, they would be mistaken for sisters."
The old woman subtly praised Zhang for being young, saying she was the same age as Tian Sangui.
However, Zhang's thinking was not as progressive as hers. She couldn't accept having someone the same age as her daughter, because that would mess up the generational order.
"How can I, an old woman, be compared to a child of a few years old? Don't talk nonsense for the sake of business!"
The old woman's smile froze, and she blinked her old eyes at Zhang.
He thought to himself, "Is there anyone in this world who doesn't like being complimented on their youth?"
This made her start to doubt whether there was something wrong with her well-liked professional language.
"Hehe, then Madam, please see what you need. Hairpins, jade hairpins, there are many styles, each one is the most popular style right now, so please feel free to choose."
Zhang and Tian Sangui listened to the old woman's introduction and carefully selected their items.
Tian Laosi and his sons surrounded the mother and daughter, watching. These things were not only liked by the daughter, but the boys also loved them.
I only regret that I am a man, otherwise I would wear one of these, high or low.
Especially the sparkling tassel hairpin, which Tian Da and Tian Er held in their hands and admired closely, occasionally dangling it between their fingers. When they watched the tassels move, their eyes and mouths were filled with laughter.
This caused the old woman to keep glancing in their direction, which dampened her enthusiasm for introducing Tian Sangui and his daughter, and she kept her eyes fixed on Tian Da's hands.
I'm afraid they'll break it, but I can't bring myself to tell them to put it down.
We can't afford to offend so many people who have come all this way.
"Mother, do you think these wild chrysanthemum hairpins are pretty?"
She picked it up and hung it on her two little pigtails, and she looked like a completely different person instantly.
Adding a touch of gentleness to her shrewd appearance brings out the true nature of a young girl.
"It's beautiful, especially the two pearl pendants; they sway gracefully with every step!"
"Haha, if Mom says it looks good, then it looks good."
"Grandma, please wrap it up for me!"
Upon hearing this, the squinty-eyed old woman immediately turned her gaze back and hurriedly wrapped it up for her with a smile.
Zhang pointed at the jade hairpins, tracing them one by one. There were many styles, and she didn't know which one to choose.
Suddenly, a large, calloused, dark hand landed on the back of her hand, pulling her to a silver hairpin.
Zhang smiled; he was the one who knew best what suited her.
"Wrap this one up!"
The old woman deftly took out the hairpin and happily packed it up for them.
"Let's buy another one. This peach blossom design will look beautiful on my wife!"
Tian Laosi said it looked good, so Zhang Shi naturally didn't find fault with it; the hairpin had a special meaning for Zhang Shi.
She thoroughly enjoyed the moment when Tian Laosi gave her the hairpin; her happiness was evident on her face.
"Wrap them all up!"
"Ah, your master has such good taste! The hairpin he chose is a perfect match for your wife's temperament!"
Seeing how affectionate they were, Tian Sangui was also filled with a happy smile.
"How much will it cost?"
Before the old woman could speak, Zhang stopped Tian Sangui from taking out money, which made Tian Sangui look at her with suspicion.
"Let your dad pay for it. This is his job, how can you let your daughter do it for him?"
Although it was addressed to Tian Sangui, the words were a subtle reminder to the man behind him: it's time for you to shine.
The father and daughter looked at Zhang at the same time, smiling and showing their big white teeth.
"Of course, San Gui, is there anything else you want?"
"Hmm, a pair of small hairpins will suffice. Father, you can pay for them!"
"Okay, how much?"
When money was mentioned, the old woman's smile widened even more.
"My price is the lowest. Considering the happiness and well-being of the master and madam's family, I'll give you a discount of two coins, making it one hundred and twenty coins in total!"
Fortunately, her father still had this much money. He was really afraid that the old woman would ask for too much and make Tian Laosi look bad.
The main concern was losing face in front of Zhang, otherwise he would suffer for several days when he returned.
After they paid, the old woman warmly saw them off.
Before they knew it, it was lunchtime, the time that Tian Sangui was most concerned about.
"Mom and Dad, let's find a restaurant to eat at. I'm a little tired from walking around. Let's rest here for a while and then go buy the floral fabric after we eat!"
"Okay, let's walk ahead and see. These places look pretty expensive!"
Zhang's eyes swept around the surroundings, and everywhere he looked were luxurious restaurants.
Even the waiter at the door was dressed better than the whole family; you can imagine how expensive the food inside must be.
Tian Sangui completely obeyed Zhang Shi; to her, it didn't matter where the restaurant was.
They walked almost to the end of the long street, and after crossing two streets, they finally found a small two-story restaurant, or more accurately, an inn.
However, the front building is used to receive diners, while the backyard is used for guests to rest.
The entire building is in the original wood color, without much decoration, which gives people a simple and friendly feeling.
Unlike the main street, there are no waiters to greet customers at the entrance.
The family stepped through the gate, where the main hall was simply furnished with a few square tables and chairs.
There were only two tables occupied, with two or three people chatting while waiting for their food to be served.
The family waited at the door for a while, but neither the shop owner nor the waiter came out to greet them.
"They're probably busy in the kitchen. Let's find a seat and wait!"
Having run his own shop, Tian Laosi knew how tough things were, and he was very understanding of the situation.
Everyone followed Tian Laosi to the last table on the left, against the wall, and took their seats.
Tian Laosi opened the window on the wall, and light instantly refracted in, illuminating the blackened square table.
After a while, a fat man with a big head, big ears, a big belly and a greasy physique came out from behind the curtain, carrying a dish cup in one hand with two dark, unidentifiable dishes on it.
He strode over to the table next to the guests, and without controlling his strength, he shook the wooden plate in his hand. With a loud "thud!", the two dishes were shaken and splashed off the plate.
He served the food to the guests without a care in the world, just as he turned to leave.
"Hey hey!!"
"Come back, I wanted a plate of stir-fried pork, what did you serve me?"
"It's pitch black."
The boss, who had only taken two steps, was called back and returned, panting heavily.
Her eyes were squeezed into a line by the excess fat on her face, making it impossible to see what was in them.
He said arrogantly and nonchalantly, "It's just stir-fried pork. Eat it if you like, or get lost!"
Upon hearing this, Tian Sangui thought, "Good heavens, with this attitude, how can I possibly do business?"
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